Receptacle with USB

[SSDriver]

I had one at my house and I can't believe they were able to make it bigger than a GFCI receptacle. I also don't like how hot they get, it has vents all over the place on the back and if you touch one (on the back side) while its charger it really does get hot. I will never install one anywhere if I can help it.

 

[FionaZuppa]

I think you are not considering there are space constraints on how many components you can fit inside a device that must be installed inside a single gang box while still serving the primary role of being a receptacle. If you want more power, buy yourself a power brick.


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There's a ton of space if it's a single recept with the USB stuff on other end. Recepts w/ USB don't need to be dual recept.

 

[ggunn]

I had one at my house and I can't believe they were able to make it bigger than a GFCI receptacle. I also don't like how hot they get, it has vents all over the place on the back and if you touch one (on the back side) while its charger it really does get hot. I will never install one anywhere if I can help it.

I don't have much use for them, either. I have a bazillion of those charger blocks all over the house; I can usually find one in seconds when I need one.

 

[FionaZuppa]

But a lot of people do; I do. Did you miss the "if"? Also, unless the battery is totally drained a device is typically usable while it is being charged.

I agree that faster charging is better, but I am not as outraged by slower charging as you seem to be; it's just not that big of a deal to me.

Well, as device batteries are getting bigger, it will eventually be BIG Joules to full charge, more than 12hr of slow charge to fill.
As far as USB-C and QC PD IQ, just some form of standard to support. USB-A slow charge supply is trapped by it's own spec, but devices are not trapped, so we need a better standard.

 

[ggunn]

Well, as device batteries are getting bigger, it will eventually be BIG Joules to full charge, more than 12hr of slow charge to fill.
As far as USB-C and QC PD IQ, just some form of standard to support. USB-A slow charge supply is trapped by it's own spec, but devices are not trapped, so we need a better standard.

And I am confident that they will emerge as the need arises. For now, though, a USB-A charger on my iPhone is sufficient. For my iPad, not so much, but I have a USB-C fast charger for it.

 

[petersonra]

It seems to me that devices are becoming more power efficient over time so the need for faster charging may never become an issue.

 

[FionaZuppa]

It seems to me that devices are becoming more power efficient over time so the need for faster charging may never become an issue.

Not so. They are not increasing efficiency in terms that equate to capacity. In Lithium, capacity is now all about the size of the batt pack.
Batt cycle time is math of low-use (turn off all the crud that's not needed right now), and batt capacity. Phones these days are "octa-core 16cpu 128GB ram". mini computer in phone size case, and batts are limited in capacity, so what do they do, they make the 5" phone into a 6.7" phone, for bigger batt.

I typically don't charge phone at night, my phone turns off at 11pm and back on at 7am. When I do need charge it's usually around 6pm via USB-C, it's full before it turns off.

 

[ggunn]

Not so. They are not increasing efficiency in terms that equate to capacity. In Lithium, capacity is now all about the size of the batt pack.
Batt cycle time is math of low-use (turn off all the crud that's not needed right now), and batt capacity. Phones these days are "octa-core 16cpu 128GB ram". mini computer in phone size case, and batts are limited in capacity, so what do they do, they make the 5" phone into a 6.7" phone, for bigger batt.

I typically don't charge phone at night, my phone turns off at 11pm and back on at 7am. When I do need charge it's usually around 6pm via USB-C, it's full before it turns off.

Whatever floats yer boat.

 

[GeorgeB]

"30w" seems like a weird # for a USB-C PD port. The Texas Instruments PD driver IC can be programmed for various PD schemes. I would prefer to take 30w via 15v2A or even 20v1.5A and not a lower voltage.

The device receiving power specifies what it needs. I recently had to dig in to USB Type-C; Wikipedia shows and I add comments; your 30W charger, AIUI, can supply 5, 9, or 15 but not 20.

AS A PD POWER SOURCE, the rating implies available output voltages.
P<15W, 5V only; most phones and tablets
15<P<27 adds 9V; most phones and tablets, higher power options
27<P<45 adds 15V; adds lower requiring notebooks like MacBook Air, maybe Pro but slower?
45>P>60 adds 20V; larger notebooks like MacBook Pro.
60<P<100 adds current capability but no new voltage.

 

[brantmacga]

There's a ton of space if it's a single recept with the USB stuff on other end. Recepts w/ USB don't need to be dual recept.

That is an Apple 20w power brick. The space isn’t there for more power. I can’t imagine a company like Legrand or Leviton not making it if it were possible, or demanded by enough people in the market.


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[brantmacga]

the other thing you have to consider is heat dissipation. I stopped putting the fast-charging USB receps in kitchen island cut-in boxes (always shallow boxes due to clearance), because every single one would die within 3/mo if the customer used it regularly. I'm convinced they were just overheating inside the box.

 

[SSDriver]

the other thing you have to consider is heat dissipation. I stopped putting the fast-charging USB receps in kitchen island cut-in boxes (always shallow boxes due to clearance), because every single one would die within 3/mo if the customer used it regularly. I'm convinced they were just overheating inside the box.

The one I had in my house I ripped out. It was hot to touch on the front and VERY hot to touch on the back.

 

[FionaZuppa]

That is an Apple 20w power brick. The space isn’t there for more power. I can’t imagine a company like Legrand or Leviton not making it if it were possible, or demanded by enough people in the market.


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Take away one recept on that yoke, plenty of room.
But Legrand already makes a dual-port 30w USB-C "PD" receptacle. One port 30w, or 2x15. 30w is bigger than that apple 20w.

 

[FionaZuppa]

the other thing you have to consider is heat dissipation. I stopped putting the fast-charging USB receps in kitchen island cut-in boxes (always shallow boxes due to clearance), because every single one would die within 3/mo if the customer used it regularly. I'm convinced they were just overheating inside the box.

So this over-heating is of no concern to NEC? Or the heat is ok by NEC, but you saying the crude electronics are dying from being too hot? When you say "dying", was it just tripping off a overheat switch, or was the electronics actually frying?

 

[Jraef]

Would be a fairly easy job, but a headache of a job. You could only work when the rooms are empty, a lot of drive time to go back, although could be a good money maker


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Yeah... Downtown San Francisco every day? They couldn't pay ne enough. I once quit a job and took a $10k/year pay cut to get out of that mess. Worth every penny.

Interestingly, their stated COVID protocol is that after someone checks out of a room, they clean it, then do not allow it to be occupied again for 48hrs. That has to hurt their bottom line.

 

[ggunn]

The one I had in my house I ripped out. It was hot to touch on the front and VERY hot to touch on the back.

One point, though; just because something feels hot to the touch doesn't necessarily mean that it's too hot for electrical equipment to work. Lots of conductors, for example, are good to 90 degrees C which is way too hot to touch.

 

[brantmacga]

So this over-heating is of no concern to NEC? Or the heat is ok by NEC, but you saying the crude electronics are dying from being too hot? When you say "dying", was it just tripping off a overheat switch, or was the electronics actually frying?

No it’s more likely the solder joints are cracking


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[FionaZuppa]

No it’s more likely the solder joints are cracking


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Well that's an issue, no? Solder cracking can cause arc'ing issue, overheat, start a fire.

I see a single recept (on dual recept yoke) with one side a 2x30w PD being a great option for some, not all, locations.
The Legrand 30w item is a poor implementation of USB-C PD. My goto manufacturer is Eaton, but I would like to see better items from Eaton and Leviton.

 

[brantmacga]

Alright


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